Indochina Uncovered: Cambodia, Vietnam & Laos (Self-Launched, 19 Days)

Land at Siem Reap International (REP). Grab a tuk-tuk from the official rank outside arrivals (~£2-3) rather than a pre-booked transfer. Check into a guesthouse or hostel around Wat Bo or Sok San Road. Spend the afternoon wandering Pub Street and the Old Market, sorting a SIM card (Metfone/Smart, ~£2 for a data bundle) and changing some riel. Sunset and an early night — you'll be up before dawn tomorrow.

🚌Airport tuk-tuk ~£2.50

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Wat Bo (~£8-10/night)

• →Old Market and Pub Street wander
• →Buy Cambodian SIM card
• →Sort Angkor pass logistics for tomorrow

Buy your Angkor pass direct at the Angkor Enterprise ticket office (1-day pass ~£30, 3-day ~£50 — the 3-day is better value if you want a second temple day). Either hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£15-18 for the whole circuit, shared if you can) or join a small-group sunrise tour on GetYourGuide (~£15-20 excluding the pass). Do Angkor Wat at sunrise, then the South Gate, Bayon's face towers, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and finish at tree-strangled Ta Prohm. Seven hours is plenty before temple fatigue sets in.

🚌Tuk-tuk hire for the day ~£16 (shared cheaper)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (~£8-10/night)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Bayon and Angkor Thom
• →Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace
• →Ta Prohm

Book a half-day countryside and floating village tour via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£20-25), which covers the oxcart ride through Chrieve village, a family home visit and the boat out to Chong Khneas floating village on Tonle Sap. Back in town by mid-afternoon, visit Les Artisans d'Angkor free workshop to see stone and wood carving, then catch sunset from Phnom Bakheng (included in your pass) or a rooftop bar.

🚌Included in tour

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (~£8-10/night)

• →Oxcart ride through Chrieve village
• →Chong Khneas floating village boat trip
• →Les Artisans d'Angkor workshop
• →Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

Take a morning Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham VIP bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (~£10-13, 6-7 hours, book a day ahead online or at any travel agent). Arrive mid-afternoon, check into a guesthouse near the riverside, then walk to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (entry ~£8, closes ~5pm — check times). Watch sunset over the Mekong from Sisowath Quay with a 50p draft beer.

🚌VIP bus Siem Reap–Phnom Penh ~£12

🛏Riverside hostel or guesthouse (~£10-12/night)

• →Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
• →Riverside sunset walk

Morning visit to Wat Phnom, then take the Mekong speedboat from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc (~£30-35, 4-5 hours, book via a Phnom Penh agent — Hang Chau Express is the long-standing operator). The border formalities are handled en route. Arrive Chau Doc in the afternoon and settle into a simple hotel or homestay by the river. Eat bun ca (fish noodle soup) at a local stall — Chau Doc is famous for it.

🚌Mekong speedboat Phnom Penh–Chau Doc ~£32

🛏Budget hotel or homestay in Chau Doc (~£10-14/night)

• →Wat Phnom
• →Mekong speedboat border crossing
• →Evening riverside food stalls

Join a half-day Tra Su Cajuput Forest and Cham village tour (~£20-25 via GetYourGuide or arrange at your hotel): a rowing boat and small engine boat through the flooded forest, a stop at the Cham Muslim village across the river, and the fish farms on the Chau Doc river. In the afternoon take a local bus or shared minivan down to Can Tho (~£6-8, 3 hours). Book a small boatman at Can Tho's Ninh Kieu pier for tomorrow's floating market.

🚌Half-day tour transport + bus to Can Tho ~£7

🛏Budget hotel or homestay in Can Tho (~£10-13/night)

• →Tra Su Cajuput Forest boat trip
• →Cham minority village
• →Chau Doc fish farms

Be at Ninh Kieu pier by 5.30am to hire a small boat to Cai Rang floating market (~£8-10, negotiate direct with a boatman, or ~£6 on a shared tour). Breakfast of noodles on the water. Back by mid-morning, then take the bus to Can Tho airport and fly to Da Nang (~£35-50 with VietJet/Bamboo — book early and travel hand-luggage only). Grab or shuttle bus from Da Nang to Hoi An (~£4, 45 mins).

🚌Cai Rang boat ~£9 + flight Can Tho–Da Nang ~£45 + transfer to Hoi An ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Hoi An Old Town fringe (~£10-14/night)

• →Cai Rang floating market at dawn
• →Flight to central Vietnam

A proper rest day. Rent a bicycle for ~£1.50, ride out to An Bang or Cua Dai beach for a swim, and drop into a tailor for a 24-hour custom outfit (£20-40 for a shirt or dress — you'll need a second fitting, so order today). In the evening buy an Old Town ticket if you want into the heritage houses (~£5), wander the lantern-lit streets and watch the street performances and river lanterns for free.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£1.50

🛏Guesthouse or hostel (~£10-14/night)

• →An Bang beach
• →Tailor fitting
• →Hoi An Old Town at night
• →Street performances

Leisurely morning in Hoi An (pick up your tailoring), then transfer to Da Nang airport and fly to Hanoi (~£30-45 with VietJet). From Noi Bai, take bus 86 into the Old Town (~£1.20) rather than a taxi. Check into a hostel in the Old Quarter and spend the evening grazing a bun cha and pho crawl, ending with egg coffee on a balcony overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake.

🚌Flight Da Nang–Hanoi ~£38 + bus 86 ~£1.20

🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm or budget hotel (~£10-15/night)

• →Old Quarter food crawl
• →Hoan Kiem Lake at night

Book a small-group countryside day trip to Ba Vi via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£35-45 including lunch and transfers): tea picking and a tea-processing workshop, a walk through Moc village, a cycling loop through the paddy fields, a cooking class with a local family and a herbal foot soak. This is the closest self-bookable match to the operator's Mrs Chin experience. Back in Hanoi by evening.

🚌Included in day tour

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£10-15/night)

• →Tea farm and tea workshop
• →Moc village walk
• →Village cooking class
• →Paddy-field cycling
• →Herbal foot soak

Book a budget one-night Halong cruise directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£85-120 per person sharing, including bus transfer from Hanoi, all meals, kayaking and cave entry — 3-star boats are perfectly fine). Say yes to the kayaking or swim stop at a quiet karst inlet. Sunset on the sundeck is the moment. If you'd rather go cheaper and quieter, base yourself in Cat Ba town and take a day boat instead.

🚌Shuttle bus from Hanoi included in cruise package

🛏Cabin on a budget Halong Bay junk (~£0 extra — included in cruise price)

• →Halong Bay karst cruise
• →Kayaking or swimming
• →Grotto visit

Take the sunrise tai chi session on deck (free on most boats), then explore a limestone cave before brunch and the bus back to Hanoi mid-afternoon. Freshen up at your hostel and use the evening to book onward logistics: Laos visa-on-arrival forms and a Hanoi–Vientiane flight.

🚌Return shuttle to Hanoi included in cruise

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£10-15/night)

• →Sunrise tai chi
• →Limestone cave exploration
• →Logistics planning

Fly Hanoi to Vientiane (~£60-80 with Lao Airlines on the direct route, or via Bangkok on AirAsia for less). Get your Laos visa on arrival (~£30-35) or an e-visa in advance. In the afternoon do the easy walking loop: Wat Sisaket, Haw Phra Kaew (Wat Prakeo), That Luang Stupa (~£0.30 each) and a sunset stop at Patuxay Arch. Dinner of laap and sticky rice by the Mekong.

🚌Flight Hanoi–Vientiane ~£70 + airport tuk-tuk ~£3

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse near Nam Phu (~£12-15/night)

• →Wat Sisaket
• →Haw Phra Kaew
• →That Luang Stupa
• →Patuxay Monument at sunset

Fly Vientiane to Pakse with Lao Airlines (~£60-70). From Pakse, tuk-tuk or songthaew south to Champasak to visit Wat Phou, the pre-Angkorian Khmer temple on the hillside (~£4 entry). Continue on to the riverbank for a longtail boat to Don Khong island (~£3-5) and check into a simple guesthouse. If time allows, detour to Khone Phapheng Falls (~£3 entry) — the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia by volume.

🚌Flight ~£65, tuk-tuk and longtail boat ~£10

🛏Guesthouse on Don Khong (~£10-13/night)

• →Wat Phou temple
• →Khone Phapheng Falls
• →Longtail boat to Don Khong

Boat across to Don Khone (or Don Det), then hire a moto-taxi or bicycle for the day to explore: the old French colonial railway bridge between Don Khone and Don Det, Li Phi falls (the 'trap' falls, ~£2.50 entry) and the quiet lanes of Don Det. Take a slow local boat back to Ban Nakasang and a songthaew up to Pakse, arriving in the evening. Riverside guesthouse, night market food.

🚌Boat and songthaew transfers ~£12

🛏Pakse guesthouse (~£10-13/night)

• →Moto-taxi tour of Don Khone
• →Li Phi falls
• →Don Det colonial bridge
• →Pakse night market

Rent a scooter (~£6-8/day) or join a small Bolaven Plateau tour (~£20) to ride the coffee and tea plantation loop near Paksong: Tad Fan waterfall, Tad Yuang, tea and coffee smallholdings and a village where knives are forged by hand. Return the bike and take the late-afternoon flight Pakse to Luang Prabang (~£70-95) — alternatively the overnight sleeper bus (~£15, 14 hours) if you're on a tight budget.

🚌Scooter hire ~£7 + flight Pakse–Luang Prabang ~£80

🛏Guesthouse in Luang Prabang old town fringe (~£10-14/night)

• →Bolaven Plateau waterfall loop
• →Coffee and tea plantation visits
• →Knife-making village

Share a tuk-tuk or songthaew out to Kuang Si (~£5-8 return per person, or book a small-group tour ~£12). Stop at Phousi Market, then walk the trail past Khmu, Hmong and Lao Loum villages (Ban Thapene, Ban Ou, Ban Ouray) on the way. At Kuang Si, swim in the turquoise tiered pools, hike up to the top, and visit the Free the Bears sanctuary at the entrance (£2.50 donation). Back in town for the night market and a Beerlao by the Mekong.

🚌Shared songthaew ~£6

🛏Guesthouse in Luang Prabang (~£10-14/night)

• →Kuang Si Waterfall and pools
• →Free the Bears sanctuary
• →Hmong and Khmu village walks
• →Phousi Market
• →Night market

Start early to see the alms-giving procession (watch respectfully from a distance, don't buy rice from touts). Then walk the old town: Wat Xiengthong (the city's most beautiful temple, ~£2.50) and Wat Sene. Hire a shared longtail boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves (~£10-12 return, 2 hours each way with a stop at Ban Xanghai whisky village). Afternoon at the Royal Palace Museum or a cafe on the peninsula.

🚌Shared longtail boat to Pak Ou ~£11

🛏Guesthouse in Luang Prabang (~£10-14/night)

• →Alms-giving ceremony at dawn
• →Wat Xiengthong and Wat Sene
• →Pak Ou Caves by boat
• →Ban Xanghai village

Last morning for the morning market and souvenirs (textiles from the Ock Pop Tok centre are worth the money). Tuk-tuk to Luang Prabang airport (~£3) for your onward flight. If you have a late departure, a slow boat down the Mekong to Nong Khiaw or a couple of days in Vang Vieng makes an easy extension.

🚌Airport tuk-tuk ~£3

🛏—

• →Morning market and souvenir shopping